Los Reyes de los Muertos
by Akino Ame
Summary: The Tamers decide to hold a Halloween party in the Digital World, but something insists on interfering. But what does this have to do with the Mexican holiday of el Dia de los Muertos? Trick or treat! Read and review!


            **For those of you who were wondering, El Día de los Muertos is like the Mexican version of Halloween. It will be explained later on in the story. And Los Reyes de los Muertos means "The Kings of the Dead." I got the idea for this while learning about El Día de los Muertos for the fourth or who knows which time in Spanish class.**

**            And I have a confession to make. This is not an AU. I am actually going by the American ages so I can insult my sophomore class T-shirt. And there really should be no reason why Leomon's back. My explanation is that he's just too cool to die!**

**This story takes place one year after Tamers. And there are references to many other shows and movies, but you'll have to look for them. Remember, I don't own anything.**

            "Hey, know what, guys?" Takato asked one breezy October 30.

            "I get the feeling you're going to tell us," Rika commented.

            "Next week it'll be one year since we defeated D-Reaper," he answered.

            "It's been that long already?" Henry asked.

            "Should we celebrate or something?" Jeri questioned.

            Kazu groaned. "I wanted to have a Halloween party tomorrow!"

            "Same here," Kenta agreed.

            "Okay, let's take a vote," Ryo decided. "Everyone who wants a Halloween party?" Six hands went up. "Those who want an anniversary?" No hands went up. None of the Tamers wanted to have to relive the pain of the battles. Now only he and Rika hadn't voted, and Ryo wasn't counting himself. "Those who don't care?" Rika's hand went up. "Then it looks like a Halloween party."

            "Susie, are you sure you want to have a Halloween party instead of going trick-or-treating?" Henry checked.

            "Of course," she replied. "But I want to go to the Digital World!"

            "Anyone against holding the party there?" Henry questioned. He got no protests. Everyone wanted the chance to see the Digimon again.

            "Maybe this time we go, we can actually eat something," Rika joked, playfully punching Ryo.

            "Let's cook this stuff ourselves," Takato suggested. "I can bring the bread, Henry and Susie can bring some of those Chinese buns Terriermon loves—You know how the Digimon eat. We could run out of food in a matter of seconds!"

            "I can bring dessert," Jeri offered.

            "I can make rice balls," Kenta added.

            "I'll bring the main dish!" Kazu decided.

            "I'll bring the back-up," Rika volunteered, predicting that Kazu would screw up.

            "And I'll bring something to drink," Ryo finished. "We'll meet at the portal tomorrow."

            ~~~  
            A man with olive green skin sat on a tree root, playing an ivory flute that was wrapped with vines. Beside him was a woman with the same skin tone. But while he had sky blue hair with a streak of lavender on either side, she had pale rose with streaks of cerulean correspondent to her mate's lavender. Their eyes were a mossy jade green, reflecting a dead world. The tree was burnt black, not entirely surprising against the polluted, salmon-colored sky and dark cinnamon, rocky, dry ground of the wasteland. They said nothing, but let the melody echo through _el Reino de los Muertos—_the Realm of the Dead, where the spirits of all the evil dead Digimon were doomed to remain for all eternity.

            ~~~  
            Ryo ran into the kitchen the minute he got home.

            "Nice to see you too," his father commented.

            The fifteen-year-old high school sophomore tore through the cabinets and fridge, searching for the ingredients he needed to make the drink. He'd made it before, and it had turned out great. But now all of the ingredients were missing, with the exception of cinnamon, which the Akiyamas had plenty of left over from the last time Ryo made this drink. Far from discouraged, he grabbed his wallet from his room and looked for his mother.

            "Mom, I need to go to the grocery store," he requested.

            "What do you need?" she asked.

            "Just some stuff to make punch for a Halloween party the other Tamers and I are having after school tomorrow."

            "You'd better not spike it," his father advised.

            "Oh, right, make Kazu and Kenta even worse than they are now," Ryo sarcastically answered. "Ask anyone: that's the last thing any of us needs."

            "Well, go right ahead," his mother agreed. "And can you pick up some things for me for dinner?"

            "Sure."

            "I'll get you the list of things I need," she said, silently walking past her husband to get a slip of paper with the necessary items on it.

            "That all?" Ryo checked.

            "Mm-hmm. Hurry home." She gave him some extra money for the groceries.

            "Thanks!" he replied, running off to get his bike and soccer bag to place the groceries in.

            ~~~  
            "Let's see," Takato commented. "We've got plenty of dough left over from today. I can have it ready in just a few hours!"

            "Takato," his mother nagged, "you'd better not blow up the house!"

            "I didn't last time!" he defended. _Geez, _he thought. _She always trusts me more when the fate of the world's in my hands. Can't she trust me with an oven?_

"Son, what are you up to?" his father asked.

            "I've got to bring some bread for the Tamers' Halloween party," he explained. "Kazu's in charge of dinner, and Rika's making a back-up in case his—well, if we can't eat it for some reason. Henry and Susie are making Chinese buns, Kenta's making rice balls, Jeri's making some other dessert, Ryo's bringing the drinks, and I have the bread."

            "How could you need so much food?" his father questioned in half-horrified shock. Takato finished shaping the bread and put it in the already-warm oven.

            "We're having it in the Digital World. You know how the Digimon eat. You'd think we starved them or something."

            "Okay, but don't make a mess back here. Your mother and I need it clean so we can start tomorrow."

            ~~~  
            "Susie, watch out!" Henry warned. The kitchen was beginning to look like the site of the latest Digimon battle.

            "Oops," she declared as some of the bun mixture fell on the floor. "I'll clean that up."

            "No!" he quickly protested. "I mean, you get some more of Mom's meant for the centers."

            "Okay," she answered happily as Henry took a sponge and wiped up the mess. Unfortunately, that wasn't before their father walked in and nearly mistook the kitchen for the site of the D-Reaper's revenge.

            "Why do I get the feeling Yamaki's sensors are picking this up?" he joked.

            "Hey, Dad," Henry responded tiredly.

            "Daddy!" Susie cried, running up to their father. "Henry and I are cooking!"

            "Now I know Hypnos is going to bust this place," Janyu teased. "What are you cooking for?"

            "The Tamers' Halloween party tomorrow," Henry explained. "We're trying to make those buns Terriermon's crazy about. We keep following the recipe, but they aren't turning out right."

            "We tried our first one and it tasted wrong," Susie added, holding out one of their initial trials. Janyu took a bite.

            "My advice would be to cook them in broth," he said. "That's how your mother cooks them."

            "Thanks, Dad."

            "Thanks, Daddy!"

            ~~~  
            "Jeri, what are you making?" Masahiko asked at the sound of batter frying in oil.

            "Funnel cakes," she answered. "Want one?"

            "Sure!" he answered, happily accepting the warm, sugar-covered, fried dough his half-sister offered. "What are you making this for?"

            "A Halloween party for me and the other Tamers," she explained.

            "Can I come?"

            "No, sorry. It's in the Digital World, and it's a little too dangerous for you. But you're going trick-or-treating anyway, aren't you?"

            "Oh yeah," he remembered as he polished off the cake.

            "Masahiko, don't spoil your appetite," Mrs. Katou warned. "Jeri, what's the occasion?"

            "Hmm?" she asked.

            "You usually don't make funnel cake unless it's a special occasion," her stepmother noticed.

            "Well, the Tamers are having a Halloween party and I'm bringing some dessert."

            "Do you want me to buy some candy for that?"

            "No, it's okay. Rika said she'd pick some up when she goes to buy some rice for her dish."

            "Did I hear something about someone having candy?" Mr. Katou asked. "Not before dinner, I hope."

            "No, Dad," Jeri replied, smiling. "It's for our Halloween party in the Digital World tomorrow. After school," she added with a quick thought.

            "I guess you can go," he decided. "After all, you're planning to already."

            "Thank you!" she cried before going back to frying the funnel cakes.

            ~~~  
            Kenta scooped up some of the rice ball mixture and molded it into the right shape.

            "Whew," he muttered as he set it in the cooker. _Note to self: Don't volunteer for anything again._

"You think two rice balls per person is enough?" his mother asked.

            "No. This is one each, including the Digimon. I've got to make sixteen more, plus some extra in case Impmon shows up. Just as long Guardromon doesn't dedigivolve so he can eat, I think I'll have plenty for visitors."

            "Well, take a break now. You look exhausted."

            "That's what I plan to do."

            ~~~  
            "Number 37!" the server at the grocery store's deli called.

            "Me!" Kazu announced.

            "What would you like?" she questioned.

            "A rotisserie chicken and mashed potatoes."

            "Coming right up."

            _Somebody better alert the police 'cause I just pulled the perfect heist!_ Kazu silently bragged.

            "Rotisserie chicken and potatoes," the server said, handing over the containers of food. "That'll be $15.74." I don't know. I just made up a price

            "You take credit?"

            "Hold on a second." She scanned the card and printed out a receipt. "Thank you and have a nice day."

            "Cheating are we?" asked a voice behind Kazu.

            "Ryo!" Kazu recognized, trying to keep his cool.

            "You look like you just got caught robbing a bank."

            "Okay, so you caught me. I can't cook; I'd kill everyone. I had to buy something. You won't tell anyone, will you?"

            "Of course I won't. Not yet anyway."

            Kazu knew he had to escape. Ryo wasn't just going to let this one slip _that_ easily. Finally, an escape route appeared.

            "Hey, Ryo, isn't that Rika?"

            "Yeah. Wonder what she's doing here."

            "Why don't you go talk to her?" Kazu suggested, taking that opportunity to leave. _Somebody call the police. I've done it again!_

            "Rika!" Ryo called.

            "Oh, it's you," Rika recognized. "I thought it was somebody important." Make sure to read the notes at the bottom for a little contest

            "What are you buying?"

            "Some rice for my mom and grandma—they're helping me with the cooking—and some candy for Jeri. You?"

            "A few groceries for my mom and some orange juice and coconut cream for my punch. I didn't dare ask my parents for help. My dad keeps yelling at me not to spike it, and…"

            "Darn," Rika interrupted sarcastically. "No sake."

            Ryo smiled. "We call it orange juice, like those screwdrivers in _Zoids._"

            "Or the 'tea' in Tenchi."

            "Anyway, my mom's just… Well, I don't want to give her a reason to fight with Dad again."

            "Have your parents been having problems with their marriage?"

            "They always have. I think the only reason they're still together is because I disappeared that year. Promise you won't tell anyone?"

            "Hmm," Rika commented, nodding. Soon her tone changed from sympathetic to teasing. "Hey. You're not going to wear that ridiculous sweater tomorrow, are you?"

            "Well, yeah. I figured I might as well wear something orange…"

            "Come off it, already! I know you've got to have something else that's orange!"

            "Yeah, but it's my stupid class of 2005 T-shirt that has a space for a temporary ID and says 'Sophomore Shirt' on the front, and on the back, it has the school mascot and the words 'Back of Sophomore Shirt.' I don't wear that outside of school! It makes the entire sophomore class look like a bunch of prison escapees!" Rika began laughing. "I'm serious; I'm going to kill the guy that designed it!" Rika just continued laughing. "Fine, I'll wear my sweater just to tick you off!"

            ~~~  
            The strange man and woman continued to sit on the extended tree root. The man was still playing his flute.

            "Gabriel, don't stop," the woman begged.

            "Leilia, choose some _muertos_," the man, Gabriel, requested.

            The woman, Leilia, stood up and plucked a seed from the branches of the seemingly dead tree. Gabriel took up his flute and played the ethereal melody. The seed began to glow, and then floated from Leilia's fingers. From within the seed, an evil spirit emerged.

            "What is thy bidding, my masters?" the spirit asked.

            _Reina—_Queen—Leilia stood up.

            "Take your bodily form and penetrate the Digital World," she ordered. _Rey—_King—Gabriel nodded in agreement.

            "Kill all who stand in the way of our takeover of the worlds!" Gabriel added. The spirit made what appeared to be a bow, and left.

            ~~~

            "Takatomon, I smell bread," Guilmon commented the minute the Tamers and Digimon were reunited.

            "Guilmon, can't you wait?" Takato asked. "We're still saying hello here."

            "Leomon, I'm so glad to see you!" Jeri announced.

            "Renamon, I've missed you," Rika admitted.

            "Nice to see you again, Cyberdramon," Ryo said casually.

            "Hey, Terriermon," Henry greeted.

            "Lopmon! Terriermon!" Susie cried, hugging both in a chokehold.

            "Guardromon, man, lay it on me!" Kazu declared, giving his partner a high five.

            "Marineangemon!" Kenta shouted, sobbing hysterically.

            "Now can we have some bread?"

            "Guilmon!"

            "Hi!" Calumon cried, flying in to interrupt Takato's scolding of his partner. "You're back!"

            "Hey, Calumon!" Takato cried. "Yep, we're here for a Halloween party."

            "What's Halloween?" Calumon asked, retracting his ears in curiosity.

            "You don't know what Halloween is?" Impmon questioned. "That's the night when all the dead come back to haunt you. And it's tonight." He pointed in the distance. "Isn't that D-Reaper?"

            Calumon screamed and jumped into Jeri's arms. Impmon nearly fell over laughing. Seeing that the D-Reaper wasn't behind him, Calumon extended his long white-and-purple ears in anger. "That wasn't nice!"

            "What can I say?" Impmon laughed. "I may not be evil, but I still love scaring ya! It's so easy!"

            "You know, that sounds like _El Día de Los Muertos_," Henry noticed. "It means 'The Day of the Dead.' It's celebrated in Mexico. There, it's believed that the spirits of ancestors return for a visit. There are festivals, candy skulls, and bread."

            "Sounds a lot like what we're having," Rika observed.

            "Yeah," Henry agreed, "only we don't build altars to our ancestors for their return visit. The altars are made to remind them of everything they had when they were alive, and they're filled with food and drink so their spirits don't go hungry."

            "Speaking of hungry, do I smell cream puffs?" Yes, the dreaded cream puffs of doom!

            ~~~  
            The evil spirit resumed his fallen form of Devimon—not IceDevimon, but plain, old, evil Devimon. He smiled evilly at the eight children and Digimon who reminded him so much of those who'd put him to his death so long ago. These children were prepared to have a good time, but Devimon wasn't about to let _that _happen.

            "Now you shall learn why it's called the Day of the Dead!" he declared. He turned from his hiding place to give a report to his masters, _los Reyes de los Muertos_.

            "_Rey _Gabriel, _Reina _Leilia, the Tamers are in _la casa de las muertas,_" he informed.

            "Excellent work," Gabriel complimented. "We shall send reinforcements to assist you."

            Gabriel played his flute once more, arousing more _muertos _for his and Leilia's cause.

            "Take on your forms!" Leilia ordered. "Do not let these mortal children defeat us!"

            "If we fail, we must move _el Reino de los Muertos _to another dimension," Gabriel reminded them. "Do you want that to happen?"

            "No!" the other seven _muertos _chorused.

            "Nothing must stop us now!" Leilia declared. "We are close to our goal. We _will _rule this world, and all other worlds as well! No longer will we be damned to this eternal Hell! The gates of the other world cast you here. We shall conquer that world by conquering this one!"

            ~~~  
            The Tamers and Digimon walked into what seemed to be a ghost town.

            "Hey, this is the perfect place to hold our party," Takato decided. "It looks exactly like what Impmon was talking about."

            "Well, let's check around to see if anyone's here," Henry decided.

            "Henry," Terriermon complained. "Don't make us walk around trying to find a place to eat!"

            "Takato, I want some bread," Guilmon added. His stomach growled in fierce agreement.

            "Rika, I sense no one around," Renamon informed.

            "And I don't smell anyone," Cyberdramon added.

            "Then let's go into one of the houses," Rika decided.

            "Before Terriermon and Guilmon start complaining again?" Ryo guessed. Rika nodded.

            The house was small, and there wasn't much room to sit, but everyone cleared some dusty furniture out of the way so they'd be able to eat on the floor.

And so the Tamers set out their food: bread and cream puffs from Takato, Chinese buns from Henry and Susie, funnel cakes and candy from Jeri, rice balls from Kenta, the chicken and potatoes from Kazu ("Don't worry! It's safe; he bought it ready made at the grocery store!" Ryo alerted), a rice and vegetable dish from Rika, and the punch from Ryo.

"Mmm," Jeri commented as she sipped some of the warm punch. "Tastes like orange and cinnamon."

"I think there's some coconut too," Takato observed.

"Great," Rika joked, "another thing Ryo's done perfectly."

"Cyberdramon, what do you think?" Ryo asked. He was answered by an angry grunt. "Thanks."

"One of these days, I'm going to learn what those grunts mean," Kazu decided.

"Good cream puffs!" Calumon declared after eating six of them.

"A little too sweet for me," Impmon decided.

"The buns were great, Susie, Henry," Lopmon complimented.

"I don't think I can eat anymore," Terriermon realized after eating well more than his ritual twelve.

"You shouldn't eat so much at once," Leomon advised.

"Is there any more bread?" Guilmon asked.

"Guilmon funny," Marineangemon declared.

"The food was delicious," Renamon complimented.

"I wish I'd been able to eat some," Guardromon regretted.

"Cyberdramon?" Ryo questioned.

Just when they thought they were about to get an actual compliment from Cyberdramon, the wind blew in through the door, blowing everything all over the floor.

"The bread!" Guilmon cried.

"Help me get this door closed," Rika requested. Renamon came over and helped push it shut. "Thanks."

"That didn't feel like an ordinary wind," Renamon noticed.

"I'll see if the water's running," Takato volunteered. "Maybe we can clean some of this stuff up."

He walked into the kitchen and turned on the faucet. It creaked and released sand.

_That's weird,_ he thought. _Something must have happened to the pipes._

The sand suddenly turned black and started swarming around Takato, as though attacking him.

"Data?" he recognized. "What's going on here?"

Meanwhile, inside the eating area, the Tamers waited for Takato to come back, or at least show some sign of living. Just then, the echo of flute music played through the house.

"You hear that?" Terriermon questioned.

"Yeah, it's strange," Henry agreed. "Let's go check it out."

The two walked around the house, trying to identify the source of the music. Every time they heard it getting louder, once they turned in the direction of the music, it stopped. But when they tried to turn around to join the others, the music would begin again.

"Henry?" piped a small voice.

"Susie?" Henry recognized, seeing his little sister.

"I'm scared," she said.

"We were trying to find where the music was coming from," Lopmon explained, "but it kept getting us lost. It's like it's playing with our heads."

"Henry, this house suddenly seem larger to you?" Terriermon asked.

"Yeah. There's no way it was this size before." He looked for the path they followed to get there. "Let's get back to the others."

They retraced their steps, only to find themselves completely lost. So they tried to return to where they were, but they found that the hall they'd used to get there was sealed off by a wall now.

"Something's not right here," Henry noticed. "There wasn't a wall there before."

"The house suddenly became a maze!" Terriermon realized.

"We're lost?" Susie asked fearfully, tears beginning to drop from her eyes.

"We'll find our way out eventually," Lopmon assured.

~~~  
            "Did it suddenly get hot in here?" Kazu asked.

"Yeah, I think so," Kenta agreed.

"Stay here," Rika ordered. "I'm going to check the temperature. Guilmon, go check on that Goggle Head you call a Tamer. Renamon, Ryo, come with me."

Ryo turned to Cyberdramon with an ordering nod. Something was up.

"Rika, you noticed, didn't you?" Renamon noticed as they headed for the basement.

"It was hard not to."

"You mean about how everyone's suddenly disappeared?" Ryo questioned.

"Duh. That was too obvious. Something's going on, and I thought maybe Renamon and Cyberdramon would be able to get to the bottom of it. They're some of the best at sensing any type of danger."

"Something evil is in this house," Cyberdramon knew. "It's after every one of us."

"Each one of the others has gone missing," Renamon recapped. "Takato never returned after checking the kitchen; Henry and Susie disappeared while searching for that music…"

"Which stopped about as mysteriously as it started," Ryo pointed out.

"There's no way this is a coincidence," Rika decided. "Sure, I wouldn't put it past Goggle Head to get lost in a small house, but Henry's a lot more responsible. And he'd send Susie back as fast as possible."

"You like him?" Ryo questioned out of the blue.

"Not really," Rika admitted. "He's a little too serious for me. And Takato's a baby. Besides, he has Jeri. They're exactly the same: the typical couple."

"Maybe a little _stereo_typical?" Ryo suggested. "They act the way most couples in love act."

"I know," Rika agreed. "It's almost sickening."

Renamon and Cyberdramon inconspicuously exchanged glances, sensing what was coming.

"So, Ryo, anyone you like?"

"You better not be talking about those Malibu Barbies. _They're _sickening. They only want things to look even more popular. That's one reason why I try to stay out of the spotlight."

"So what do you prefer?"

"Someone who is honest, but will joke around. I don't want to have to act like I'm in love. I'd rather know it, and feel it."

"In other words, friendship is more important."

"Yeah. The girlfriend I'd have would have to be someone I can be honest with, and joke around with. She'd have to be someone whom I can tell a secret to, when I don't want the rest of my friends finding out."

Rika blinked and stared at him, surprised. For a moment, she thought she detected just the slightest tinge of red on Ryo's face, but he turned quickly. Trying not to look suspicious, she glanced up at the ceiling, only to notice the air vent.

"What's that red stuff leaking out of the vent?" she questioned. Everyone looked up.

The door to the basement slammed shut, locking them in. Then the wall absorbed the door as the red liquid burst out of the air vent and began to flood the small basement.

"It's blood!" Ryo realized. "Cyberdramon, try and break the wall open or something!"

"Renamon, help him out!"  
            "Desolation Claw!"

"Diamond Storm!"

Both attacks were absorbed by the evil house, and the blood continued to flood the basement.

~~~  
            "I wonder why no one's come back yet," Kenta commented.

"Something evil," Marineangemon sensed.

"I don't like this," Jeri decided.

"Neither do I," Leomon agreed.

"I think we should go check on Takato," she commented. "Kazu, Kenta, you stay here."

Jeri and Leomon walked through the hall to the kitchen, only to find it empty. The faucet was turned off.

"He said he was going to check for the water," Jeri remembered. She turned on the faucet and clear water flowed out.

"There are powerful forces at work," Leomon warned. "We must be on guard."

"Let me see if I can track him," she decided, taking out her digivice. The compass appeared, pointing toward the direction of… "The attic!"

They headed toward the stairs leading up to the attic. Each creaking step seemed to say, "Come, join the Realm of the Dead. Join _el Reino de los Muertos._" The attic was truly a horror.

"I don't like this," Jeri declared again. "I think there's something evil in this house."

"No," Leomon corrected. "I think the problem is that the house is what's evil."

"But that's impossible, right?" Jeri questioned.

As though to prove her wrong, the door slammed shut and disappeared. The last thing that could be heard was a deafening scream.

~~~

Kazu and Kenta were nervous now. Their nerves had been rattled before, but Jeri's scream made them lose complete control. The first thing they did was run into the kitchen, with their Digimon following closely behind.

"Takato?" Kazu called.

"Jeri?" Kenta questioned.

"Both of them are missing!" Guardromon realized.

"Evil people," Marineangemon sensed. "Evil place."

"Marineangemon?" Kenta asked.

"Evil people… Evil place…"

"What's he talking about?" Kazu desperately questioned.

"Evil people…" Marineangemon continued. "Evil place…"

"He's sensing something in the house," Kenta explained.

"Not in house," Marineangemon corrected. "Evil house. Kings of Dead."

"The Kings of the Dead?" Kenta repeated.

"That doesn't sound good!" Kazu declared in a very squeaky voice.

"Kazu, something's opening in the floor!" Guardromon alerted.

A black vortex opened under the floor, pulling them into a hole they didn't even know was there.

~~~  
            "Oh," Calumon sighed, retracting his large ears in worry. "This house is evil. I can feel it."

"Yeah, I know what you mean, Cream Puff," Impmon agreed. "I can feel it too." He then concentrated on communicating with his Tamers through their digivice. "Ai, Mako, can you hear me?"

"Impmon?" Ai recognized, going over to her and her brother's purple digivice.

"Impmon, whoa! Where are you?" Mako asked in surprise.

"Some weird house," the Digimon explained.

"There's no house there," Ai answered. "All we can see is a reddish-pink sky and desert-like ground."

"The house was an illusion?" Impmon realized.

"You gotta get out of there!" Mako cried.

"Not yet, Mako. I gotta find the other Tamers. They're lost in here too. But I need a little help."

"Sure," he answered.

"Coming right up," Ai added.

They poured their power through the digivice to Impmon.

"Thanks," he said just before glowing and becoming Beelzemon. "Come on, Calumon. It's time to search for the others."

The triangle on Calumon's head glowed and shone a bright red light that eliminated the house illusion.

"Now we can see where the others are," Calumon realized.

"It's not going to be that simple, Calumon," Beelzemon warned. "Someone went through a lot of trouble to get them. It's not going to be that easy to get them back."

~~~  
            At the sound of Gabriel's flute, the _muertos _knew it was time to fight.

Henry and Susie tried to make their way through the maze in _el Reino de los Muertos_ when two _muertos_ appeared in their true Digital forms.

"Devimon?" Henry recognized. "Piedmon?"

"What are the Digimon from the show doing here?" Susie asked.

"Isn't it easy enough to tell?" Devimon questioned.

"We're here to kill all of you," Piedmon added.

"Not if we can help it," Terriermon replied.

"The same goes for us," Lopmon agreed. 

_"Biomerge digivolution,_" Henry's D-power alerted.

"Biomerge activate!"

"Terriermon biomerge to… Megagargomon!"

_"Matrix digivolution," _Susie's digivice informed.

"Lopmon matrix digivolve to… Antylamon!"

"You ever like clowns, Henry?" Terriermon asked from within Megagargomon.

"Could never stand 'em," he answered. "And Susie was scared of them."

"Then let's make the world a little less scarier," they decided as Megagargomon. "Mega Barrage!"

Piedmon made his usual annoying smile that drove the DigiDestined nuts on the TV show. "I don't think you know quite who you're dealing with here. Clown Trick!"

Megagargomon went flying and hit the ground, knocking out a few walls of the maze.

"Henry, you okay?" Terriermon checked.

"He was never that strong in the anime," Henry answered.

"Henry!" Susie cried. "Terriermon!"

"Susie, watch out!" Antylamon warned. Devimon was reaching straight for the six-year-old. "Bunny Blades!" She just managed to block Devimon's blow.

"You think you can stop me that easily?" he asked.

"I plan to."

"Antylamon, be careful!" Susie warned.

"I will be," she assured.

"But not for long," Devimon answered. "Touch of Evil!" He hit her in the chest, and because of the matrix evolution, Susie fell over crying. "And so the little girl got hurt. Perfect."

~~~  
            The data continued to swarm around Takato even when Guilmon entered.

"Takato!" he cried.

"Guilmon, be careful!" he warned. "This stuff can really zap your energy."

"Pyro Sphere!"

The data calmed down and took a form. But this was no ordinary form. Oh no, it was the form of the highly feared—and highly dangerous--Diaboromon.

"Diaboromon?" Takato questioned. "But he was in the movie. This makes no sense."

"Takato," Guilmon alerted, narrowing the pupils of his large amber eyes and growling threateningly at the mega. "This Digimon is far more dangerous than the ones we've faced before."

"No kidding, Guilmon. Not only is he supposed to be in the movie, but he's supposed to be dead. Tai and Matt killed him—twice."

"Web Wrecker!" 

_"Biomerge digivolution."_

"Biomerge activate!"

"Guilmon biomerge to… Gallantmon!"

"Takato, we have to stop Diaboromon," Guilmon informed. "He may know where the others are."

"Not to mention where we are," Takato added.

"Cable Crusher!"

"Lightning Joust!"

Diaboromon was ready. He wasn't going to take a strike of lightning hitting him very lightly.

"Web Wrecker!"

Gallantmon hit the floor from the attack. It was much stronger than he'd anticipated.

"Was Diaboromon this strong in the movie?" Guilmon asked.

"No. Maybe in the sequel as Armageddemon, but definitely not as Diaboromon."

~~~  
            The blood flooding the basement began to take on two forms. One form swam in the remaining blood, while the other form stood there in sinister silence.

"Metalseadramon?" Rika recognized.

"And Machinedramon?" Ryo asked. "What are the Dark Masters doing here?"

"I thought they were just from the TV show," Rika commented.

"Rika, they are very real and very dangerous," Renamon alerted. Both teenagers nodded and held out their digivices.

_"Biomerge digivolution."_

"Biomerge activate!" they ordered.

"Renamon biomerge to… Sakuyamon!"

"Cyberdramon biomerge to… Justimon!"

Justimon turned to Sakuyamon. "You take the sushi to go. I'll get the canning."

"Right," Sakuyamon agreed. "Dark Master, feel my power. Spirit Strike!"

Metalseadramon laughed as the demons hit him. "I take it that it wasn't supposed to tickle."

"That was our ultimate move," Renamon commented.

"It works every time; I don't understand how it didn't now," Rika agreed.

Justimon wasn't exactly having any success against Machinedramon either. He tried to copy the move Wargreymon had made in the show.

"Voltage Blade!" he ordered.

He ran in, sloshing through the sea of blood, and slashed his blade into Machinedramon. But the blade didn't penetrate. Not even a scratch was made.

"Huh?" Justimon questioned.

"Ryo, this Dark Master is much stronger than you've seen on TV," Cyberdramon alerted. "But he definitely comes from another dimension."

"You think that it's possible…?" Ryo began, not being given the chance to finish his sentence.

"Giga Cannon!"

"River of Power!"

Both biomerged megas hit the bloody sea and got up as fast as they could.

"This isn't just blood; it's acid," Ryo observed.

"We have to get out of it," Rika realized.

"You won't be able to get out of anywhere," Machinedramon informed.

~~~  
            "Why do we have to face the evil Digimon from the TV show?" Kazu asked.

"Don't look at me," Kenta replied.

"Concert Crush!" Etemon ordered, attacking Guardromon.

"Guardian Barrage!" Guardromon defended.

"Puppet Pummel!" Puppetmon shouted, trying to attack Marineangemon.

"Po…" Marineangemon spat as a blue heart-shaped bubble took Puppetmon's mallet hostage.

"Hey, that's cheating," Puppetmon claimed. "You're not supposed to win; I am."

"Quit complaining, you stupid toy," Etemon warned. "We got a job to do, remember?"

"Not if we can stop you," Guardromon replied. "Help me out, Kazu!"

"Coming right up," he answered. "Digimodify! Power activate!"

"And a little something for you too, Marineangemon," Kenta agreed. "Digimodify! Power activate!"

"Guardian Barrage!"

"Kahuna Waves!"

And so the first victory against the _muertos _was won. Kazu and Kenta gave each other triumphant high fives as the spirits of the re-deceased _muertos_ rotted away in the already pungent air.

~~~  
            "Beelzemon!" Calumon alerted. "Look up ahead!"

"That doesn't look so good," the mega decided, seeing the black tree with the two people sitting on one of its roots.

"Gabriel, I think we have intruders," Leilia commented.

"Let them come," he replied and continued to play his flute.

~~~  
            "Grisly Wing!" Myotismon attacked.

"Fist of the Beast King!" Leomon repelled.

"Leomon, you have to win!" Jeri cried. "Myotismon's done too much evil in order to win."

"A very knowledgeable Tamer you have there," Myotismon complimented. "She seems to know about the other worlds."

"As she should," Leomon replied. "Fist of the Beast King!"

"Crimson Lightning!" Myotismon pushed the attack away.

"Digimodify!" Jeri decided. "Energy activate!"

"Fist of the Beast King!"

The higher energy was much more than Myotismon could defend against. He was deleted quickly and easily.

"I'm glad to see that's over," Jeri commented.

"Exactly," Leomon agreed. "Come, we must find the others."

~~~

"It's that music again," Henry realized.

"It looks like the Digimon are using it for power," Susie noticed.

"You're right," Antylamon agreed. "We'd better use our own strongest powers."

"Digimodify! Radiant Fate activate!" anyone remember what her card was called?

"Bunny Blades!"

Antylamon's increased power allowed her to slice right through Devimon's body, returning him to his formless existence.

"Megagargomon, you okay?" she checked.

"Hold on a second," he answered. "Gargo Missile!"

The gigantic missiles exploded on impact with Piedmon, making the world slightly less frightening.

"Now, let's find out where everyone else is," Henry decided.

"Let's find them before more escapees from the TV show come," Terriermon urged.

~~~  
            "I have an idea on what to do against Diaboromon," Takato decided. "It's what worked for Tai and Matt in the movie."

"I hope it works here too," Guilmon said.

"Cable Crusher!" Diaboromon cried, trying to pin Gallantmon to the wall.

"Shield of the Just!" Gallantmon replied, copying Omnimon's Supreme Cannon strategy.

Diaboromon was blasted to the other side of the warping wall. He began to get up, but Gallantmon came at him.

"Lightning Joust!" Gallantmon got him through the head, Omnimon's Transcended Sword-style.

"Now your connection's terminated," Takato commented. "Okay, Guilmon, let's go find the others."

~~~  
            "We need to figure out their weaknesses," Rika realized

"Let's try another of our strongest attacks," Renamon suggested.

"River of Power!" Metalseadramon attacked.

"Not if we have anything to say about it," Sakuyamon replied. "Amethyst Mandala!"

Metalseadramon disintegrated into the formless stench that only contributed to the utter filth of _el Reino de los Muertos._

"Justimon!" Sakuyamon called. "You need a boost?"

"Yeah," he replied. "Machinedramon's too strong for my blade on its own."

Sakuyamon quickly transferred some of her strong power to the tiring Justimon, who accepted the small pick-me-up graciously.

"That's more like it," he commented. He jumped into the air that had been tainted with blood and readied his blade. "Voltage Blade!" In one swift blow, he beheaded Machinedramon.

"Not exactly the way Wargreymon did it, but it worked," Ryo commented as he tried to catch his breath.

"We have to go look for everyone else," Rika urged.

~~~  
            Gabriel continued playing his flute as Beelzemon and Calumon approached.

"Hey, Little Boy Blue," Beelzemon insulted. "Unless you want to have that flute stuck someplace comfortable, I suggest you come down and face us."

Gabriel chuckled a little and stood up. "You obviously have no idea who my wife and I are."

"But what we do know is you are out of control," Gallantmon interrupted as he and the other Tamers and Digimon arrived.

"Nice to see you got here, Pineapple Head," Beelzemon commented.

"Yay!" Calumon cried. "Gallantmon and everyone are here!"

"You believe that you're strong enough to defeat us?" Leilia questioned. "I am Leilia."

"And I am Gabriel. We are _los Reyes de los Muertos_."

"The Kings of the Dead," Henry recognized.

"Where are you from?" Ryo questioned. "There's no way you could have gotten all these Digimon from the TV show."

"Figured it out, have you?" Gabriel noticed. "You are correct. The Digimon TV show coexists with this world, but in another dimension."

"We were banished from that world, so we decided to exact revenge by taking over this world," Leilia said.

"We won't let that happen!" Gallantmon replied. "All together, everyone! Shield of the Just!"

"Mega Barrage!"

"Spirit Strike!"

"Thunderclap!"

"Guardian Barrage!"

"Fist of the Beast King!"

"Bunny Blades!"

"Kahuna Waves!"

"Double Impact!"

Gabriel and Leilia stood in the middle of everything, unfazed.

"How could they still be standing after that vicious assault?" Henry asked.

"We're going to need a miracle to get out of this one," Terriermon realized.

"But we don't have help like we did last time," Ryo pointed out.

"And most of us are running low on power," Rika added.

"Then I have no other choice," Takato commented. "Guilmon, let's gather the strongest power we have."

Gallantmon's body began to glow a deep crimson red. Gabriel and Leilia stared in curiosity. Soon, Chrome Digizoid armor encased his body and ten white-feathered wings sprouted from his back.

"This ends now," Gallantmon Crimson Mode declared. "Final Justice!"

"Gargo Missile!"

"Amethyst Spirit!"

"Justice Burst!"

"Guardian Barrage!"

"Fist of the Beast King!"

"Bunny Blades!"

"Kahuna Waves!"

"Double Impact!"

The attacks continued to pummel the King and Queen of the Dead.

"That won't stop us," Leilia informed. "Angels' Descent!"

"I won't be defeated as easily either," Gabriel agreed. "Apocalypse Tornado!"

Gallantmon grunted as he held back the attacks. Finally, his swords managed to slice through.

"No one could cut through those attacks!" Leilia cried.

"Help me, Beelzemon, Sakuyamon, Megagargomon, Justimon. I need to send these two beyond their dimension of death."

"Coming at ya!" Megagargomon declared. He opened up all his arsenals. "Mega Barrage!"

Sakuyamon firmly planted her staff on the ground. "Spirit Strike!"

Justimon activated his red blade, soaring forward to slash through the evil beings. "Voltage Blade!"

Beelzemon accessed the blaster he'd created from Mako's gift of a toy gun. "Corona Blaster!"

"Final Justice!" Gallantmon ordered, releasing beams of power from his double-bladed sword and slicing through _los Reyes de los Muertos _with his other sword.

"And now for me," Calumon added. He fired a ruby-colored ray from the triangle on his forehead, finishing the battle.

"Gabriel…" Leilia called out.

"Leilia, we'll be together…" he answered.

_El Reino de los Muertos _disappeared, leaving the Tamers and Digimon in a beautiful grassy meadow with the remainder of their party on a hill, as a picnic. Beelzemon, Gallantmon, Megagargomon, Antylamon, Sakuyamon, and Justimon dedigivolved to their day-to-day forms and stared at the sudden change in scenery.

"How did we get here?" Kazu asked.

"I guess the dimension was destroyed and we were sent to the corresponding area in the Digital World," Henry assumed.

"You mean this is where that weird house was?" Susie questioned.

"Looks that way," Lopmon replied.

"Something wrong, Rika?" Renamon checked.

"I was just thinking. I noticed how Leilia and Gabriel were. I think they only wanted a chance to have a better life, and a better love."

"That's one of the great tragedies of love," Ryo explained. "Pain comes, no matter how you try to hide it. But you can either fight the pain, surrender to it, or use it as a weapon against the innocent."

"Right again as usual," she replied sarcastically.

"Rika, Ryo, come on!" Jeri called. "It's time to go home!"

Akino: And so ends my Halloween special. But I left some tricks in my treat. In your review, try and find as many references to other shows, movies, and fanfics in here. Who knows? Maybe you'll find some I didn't think of. Happy Halloween!


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